Monday, May 8, 2017

Epic Road trip Day 7

Sunday morning, April 30th, but no sleeping in, the three women went to Farmstead again for coffee where J.
found us. Slowly looked for more breakfast down Main St. but finally simply
bought bread and fruit in a grocery store before returning to cousin J’s to
eat.

There were some very entertaining sights along the way,
including a woodpecker and a cat observing the world from the protection of a
truck.

Never mind “Nieman’s motorcycle rentals” where there was a
Douglas A1H Skyraider as well as a Pratt Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major Convair B-36 2Peace Maker” engine. A plaque on
the wall informed us that it was sometimes called “The Aluminum Overcast”, that
it had been ordered into production by the then Strategic Air Command 4 Star
General Curtis Lemay; the same who ordered the production of the B-36 to carry
the hydrogen bomb. An engineering masterpiece, it was the last of the radial
piston engines.

A WWII Continental 7 cylinder tank radial engine fueled by
propane and N/O. 440 HP attached to a VW “Bug”. The reverse pitch propeller
pushes the car forward to a speed yet to be determined. Being the most
dangerous VW in the world, engineering challenges lie ahead. Stay tuned.

Made the motorcycle on the same lot seem tame – if one
discounts the “driver”.

Packed up, visited a couple of stores in downtown St.Helena
then quickly looked at an Estate sale.

Then it was back on the road headed for “home”. Must admit
that I was glad that my sister was driving as the freeways and the drivers here
scare the heck out of me!

We were starving by the time we got to Cupertino so went and
had a lovely taco salad at Chipotle’s for late lunch around 14h00. Home to do
the wash and re-pack as the next morning we were off on our Southern loop. Not
letting any grass grow under my feet on this trip!